US Immigration Policy: The U.S. has made permanent its visa bond requirement for B1/B2 applicants from 50 countries, with up to a $20,000 refundable bond at consular discretion—Africa is hit hardest, and the earlier $5,000 option is gone. Public Health & Climate: A Nature study says climate change is “moving” childhood malaria risk across sub-Saharan Africa—slightly increasing it overall, with rising risk in southern and East Africa while reducing it in today’s hottest hotspots. Digital Sovereignty: Côte d’Ivoire launched a national public key infrastructure (PKI) to secure electronic transactions and reduce reliance on foreign certificate authorities, framing it as key to digital identity and cybersecurity. Security in West Africa: ECOWAS leaders, including Guinea-Bissau’s president, reaffirmed commitments to tackle insecurity—terrorism, armed conflict, and organized crime—through renewed high-level engagement. Tech & Skills Exchange: Russia’s “Positive Hack Camp” in Moscow trained young specialists from multiple African states, with Algeria reporting 3,000 students studying in Russia, including IT and new technologies. Maritime Monitoring: After the Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship Golden Leo was struck near Odesa, Ukraine stepped up Black Sea environmental monitoring for possible fuel and lubricant leakage.